I don't ordinarily use yellow cheddar cheese. I'm always perplexed as to why dyed cheese became in style. I have a sneaking suspicion that it has something to do with why the color of fried food is also a delectable orange hue. But the orange cheese with the turmeric and sweet potatoes-colored quinoa looks absolutely delectable! Especially when everything begins to brown in the oven and the cheese has those little crispy edges. Nachos are also one of those sneaky ways to mix in good foods with something that feels a little bit more like a splurge. These Quinoa Nachos have sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, serranos, turmeric, garlic, tofu, tamari, rice vinegar, avocados, limes, spinach, peanuts, and olive oil with just a handful of tortilla chips and likely more cheese than anyone should consume in a single sitting. Either way, they're absolutely delicious!
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Variations of Quinoa Nachos
I don't ordinarily have yellow cheddar cheese on hand. Despite white cheddar cheese actually being the natural color, the cult of American cheese has somehow made the yellow/orange hue the standard. I ordinarily tend to go for a sharp white cheddar because of this. However, with the rising cost of cheese lately, I've been branching out a little bit. This sometimes means nachos made out of fontina and smoked muenster! But, really, any cheese is absolutely delicious.
These Quinoa Nachos consist of sweet potatoes, carrots, yellow onions, serranos, fresh turmeric, garlic, tofu, tamari, and rice vinegar. I'm particularly fond of tossing absolutely everything into nachos. A lot of the time I specifically make an extra batch of quinoa, lentils, or rice and some kind of avocado dip for precisely this purpose.
Cook Quinoa w/ Sweet Potatoes, Turmeric, & Serranos. This takes about an hour and requires a rice cooker or stove. You can also easily create a different flavor profile or utilize the produce that you have on hand. I almost always keep a batch of rice or quinoa in the fridge for exactly this purpose.
I also topped this burrito with Potluck Avocado Dip w/ Spinach, Serrano & Peanuts.This is entirely optional. You can easily substitute sour cream or omit it entirely. Although this avocado dip is my new favorite thing and I highly recommend giving it a try. It's kind of a mix between hummus and guacamole. And is absolutely delicious!
Cook Nachos
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, lay out tortilla chips across a baking sheet.Cover until you can't see the baking sheet any longer. They should be touching, but not overlapping too much. You really just want to be able to add toppings to every chip without it getting too much on the baking sheet!Exactly how much chips you use is largely a matter of personal preference as well. I've never sat there carefully measuring chips! Roughly two handfuls usually equates to about a serving. I tend to cook far more than I actually need, though. So, as always, adjust to personal preference!
Spread toppings evenly across the tortilla chips.This acts largely like refried beans would in a typical nacho recipe. You can either spread across each of the chips or just drop little dollops across the chips.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the chips begin to toast.
Serve
Once the nachos are done cooking, remove from the oven and top with spinach dip and a dash of salt and pepper.
Serve immediately. Once the nachos begin to cool down, the tortilla chips will absorb too much moisture and soften. Once this happens, there isn't a lot that you can do to crisp them up again!
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
For a more in-depth article on nachos, check out my article on The Fundamentals of Making Nachos. I make suggestions on settling the microwave vs. oven debate and give suggestions on serving size, topping order, and potential reheating tips and tricks.
This Page Contains Edited Images
As a general rule, I don't like to edit images. Food styling, editing, alteration, and even faking entirely is just as rampant a problem in the recipe realm. Cooking is a very visual art and you can tell when a lot of foods are cooked based on the color. So, when this is altered and you can't use the coloration as a gauge, it makes it quite difficult to follow some recipes. I have an entire article about Food Styling and Unrealistic Expectations of Recipes. My place has very warm lighting, though. So, sometimes my camera overcompensates and ends up with an unnatural hues. I've adjusted the hues, levels, and/or cropped the following images:
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